Denial comes in all flavors. Some think the moon landing was staged, some think Tupac is alive, and others reject vaccines. If the United States learnt anything in the 2016 election, it's that social bubbles need to be broken down — so how do you reason with someone who ignores evidence or bends it to fit their worldview? This has been on Bill Nye's mind more and more since climate change denial has become a political issue rather than a scientific one. People can't change their minds instantly when their beliefs are ingrained, so it's not a matter of convincing them on the spot. Nye suggests working together towards scientific understanding by tactfully pointing out that perhaps this person is rejecting evidence because the alternative makes them uncomfortable. Understanding is a process, not a flip switch.

'Active Hope," is the title of a new book by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone. In it, they eschew feel good denial, cynical disengagement and baseless optimism. In this talk, Macy summarized their message. As Macy and Johnstone wisely acknowledge, there are no comforting certainties involved in opting to work for change with ‘active hope:’ “…there are no guarantees that we’ll be able to turn things far or fast enough to safeguard our civilization, or indeed, to ensure the continued existence of conscious life on Earth. We will probably not know in our lifetimes whether we are serving as deathbed attendants to a dying world or as midwives to the next stage of human evolution.” But, act we must on the issues we care about. Taking their lead from Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone's new book Active Hope, Cynthia Papermaster and Harvey Wasserman organized this evening of multi-issue presentations, Januare 10, 2016 at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists.

Please click on the image to order the book from Amazon or visit your local bookstore. Thank you.

When most well-intentioned aid workers hear of a problem they think they can fix, they go to work. This, Ernesto Sirolli suggests, is naïve. In this funny and impassioned talk, he proposes that the first step is to listen to the people you're trying to help, and tap into their own entrepreneurial spirit. His advice on what works will help any entrepreneur.

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Kwame Anthony Appiah, Professor of Philosophy and Law, New York University, for a discussion of his intellectual journey. Appiah reminisces about his early years in Ghana and Great Britain focusing on the influence of his parents. After outlining his formal education, he discusses the philosophical problems that have interested him. The discussion then turns to his analysis of identity and cosmopolitanism and the interface between them and concludes with a discussion of the importance of conversation in building a cooperative world. Recorded on 02/06/2015. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 29334] More info here.

The scientific consensus is that human activity is cooking the planet. Does President-elect Trump calling it a hoax embolden others in denial?

Many people are concerned about the climate and deeply anxious that the new administration will double down on fossil fuels and erase recent climate progress. Ten years ago Republicans John McCain and Lindsay Graham supported fighting climate change. But the party has changed it’s tune in recent years.

Climate scientist Michael Mann and Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist Tom Toles take a satirical look at how the issue became so divisive. Cristine Russell is a veteran science journalist with deep knowledge about the politicization of science. Renee Lertzman gets to the psychology of it all. Are we all in denial to some extent? Can better communication help us expand common ground and move on to solutions? Join us for a fun and informative look at manufactured doubt and genuine skepticism.

How do you grapple with bigger, deeper issues like catastrophic climate change? Author Carolyn Baker and video producer Ivey Cone join Janaia in a wide-ranging conversation about keeping our hearts open while witnessing the crumbling of industrial civilization. We discuss tools for holding our center, supporting each other, gratitude, and witnessing the powers of the universe at work. For Carolyn, grieving is the most important work now. She sees grieving as the other side of gratitude and love. Ivey constantly asks herself, "what is relevant?" to be doing or being. Janaia ponders what the legacy of the human experiment might be, in the vast story of Earth. Episode 300 of Peak Moment. [carolynbaker.net, youtube.com/fukicafe]

Published on Jan 17, 2016

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Performance by comedian Marcus Brigstocke. Climate change is no laughing matter, but when all else fails, perhaps it's time to take humour a bit more seriously? Humour has long been a powerful tool in the social-change arsenal, but is it powerful enough to help us break through the static on this colossal issue? Is 'laughing-it-off' just about evasion, or is it the key to transforming public perspective at scale, in time?

With the climate clock ticking we witness a seemingly endless cycle of public talks, journalistic comment pieces and debates on old turf, mostly reinforcing what we already know and fear.

Published on Jan 30, 2015

RSA Spotlights – taking you straight to the heart of the event, highlighting our favourite moments and key talking points.

In a bid to generate a new dialogue that sparks enduring change, the RSA is embarking on a series of climate events with a difference, starting with a comedy night.